LEGION: West Hartford spoils RCP's zone opener, 5-0

Hickey's club made five errors and couldn't get a runner to third base against West Hartford ace Matt D'Orsi and lost its Zone 7 opener, 5-0, at Fran Monnes Field at Cromwell High School Thursday evening.

RCP had two hits and struck out seven times.

But in addition to D'Orsi, the story was the RCP defense. Or lack of same.

"Can't give a good team extra outs," said Hickey. "Especially when you're going up against one of the league's best pitchers. When I saw D'Orsi was pitching, I was thinking this might be a 1-0 game. As it is, if we don't make errors, this is a 0-0 game in extra innings right now."

But RCP did make those errors, virtually all of them on throws. None of West Hartford's runs were earned.

West Hartford (3-0) got all the runs it would need when it scored a run in the fifth inning. With runners on first and third, the Westies pulled the classic double steal. The runner on first, Nick Miceli, got into a rundown between first and second in the hopes that the runner at third, Zack Becker, could find an opportunity to steal home.

He didn't, but second baseman Christian Budzik's throw to try to get Becker going back to the bag sailed far over the third baseman's head allowing Becker to walk home. Becker was at third because after he singled, an errant throw by losing pitcher Kevin Post had allowed him to go to second, and he moved to third on Miceli's hit.

West Hartford salted the game away with a four-run sixth, an inning that saw RCP make two errors and Post lose the plate, walking two and hitting a batter.

Brendan Rossmeisl opened the inning by reaching on a throwing error by third baseman Dan Bouchard. After Dan Nunes walked, Drew Leach bunted and Post threw the sacrifice away, allowing Rossmeisl to score and putting runners on second and third.

A fielder's choice groundout by Max Vogel-Freedman got a third run home and after a single by Ryan Coursel and a hit batter loaded the bases, Post (0-1) walked John Dinucci to force in a fourth run.

"The poor defense was a surprise," said Hickey. "But we'll fix that. This is a good defensive team. They weren't errors made with the glove, but on throws. That was surprising, but that will change."

Meanwhile, there was little RCP could do with D'Orsi.

"Matt came in with a plan," said West Hartford co-coach Steve Meucci. "He was ready. He threw strikes and his curveball was very good, as he knew it had to be against RCP."

Hickey was impressed.

"We got some runners on base, I think we got three runners to second base, but he wasn't giving us very much," said Hickey. "He is very good. But Post threw all right for us; we just didn't help him out. We got him out after 99 pitches, but he was OK."

Post allowed just five hits in six innings, striking out two and walking three. B.J. McNaughton pitched a scoreless seventh, striking out two.

RCP (0-1) comes right back with West Hartford again tonight at 5:45 at Monnes Field. The make-up game with West Hartford from Wednesday will be June 30 at Hall High in West Hartford.

"West Hartford or us have won the zone the last several years," said Hickey. "It's tough to be opening the season with what may be the best team."